The present invention relates to a cytopheretic cartridge for use in treating and/or preventing inflammatory conditions that affect myocardial function and to related methods. The cartridge can be used in treating a subject with myocardial dysfunction, such as a subject with chronic heart failure and/or acute decompensated heart failure.

The present invention provides for a method and apparatus for inserting and using dermal interstitial sensors in, for example, an analyte monitoring system, and for injecting active pharmaceutical ingredients, a bio-artificial organ device, and detection of a protein biomarker.

A combined bio-artificial liver support system, includes branch tubes that are connected in sequence: a blood input branch tube, an upstream tail end, a first plasma separation branch tube comprising at least a first plasma separator, a non-biological purification branch tube comprising at least a plasma perfusion device and a bilirubin adsorber, a biological purification branch tube comprising at least a hepatocyte culture cartridge assembly, and a plasma return branch tube, a downstream tail end of which is set as a blood output end.

A method and device treats cancer where blood from a cancer patient passes through an array of passageways within an interior of a chamber. The passageways include wells having porous membrane wall portions that enable a molecular-sized activating agent in a carrier fluid that enhances an immune response to pass through these porous wall portions. Pore size is such to allow the molecular-sized activating agent in the interior of the chamber to enter the wells yet prevents immune cells and cancer cells in the wells to pass through the porous wall portions into the interior of the chamber. Blood is retained in the wells so that it remains in contact with the immune cells and cancer cells for a predetermined period sufficient to enhance an immune response. Then the cells with an enhanced immune response are return to the patient.

This document provides bioartificial liver (BAL) devices. Methods for making and using BAL devices also are provided.

The present invention relates to a cytopheretic cartridge for use in treating and/or preventing inflammatory conditions that affect myocardial function and to related methods. The cartridge can be used in treating a subject with myocardial dysfunction, such as a subject with chronic heart failure and/or acute decompensated heart failure.

The present invention relates to a cytopheretic cartridge for use in treating and/or preventing inflammatory conditions that affect myocardial function and to related methods. The cartridge can be used in treating a subject with myocardial dysfunction, such as a subject with chronic heart failure and/or acute decompensated heart failure.

An object of the present invention is to provide an artificial liver using highly functional hepatocytes. There is provided an extracorporeal artificial liver having at least one module comprising the followings: a plasma ingredient inlet port, and a plasma ingredient outlet port; a plasma ingredient circulation chamber having the plasma ingredient inlet port, and the plasma ingredient outlet port; and a hepatocyte culture chamber provided adjacently to the plasma ingredient circulation chamber and separated from the plasma ingredient circulation chamber with a separation membrane through which ammonia can permeate, but hepatocytes cannot permeate, in which hepatocytes having an ammonia-metabolizing ability are cultured.

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for blood and other biological fluid purification using a membrane with cell containing vascular channel systems and filtration channel systems. Also disclosed are methods of making the apparatus as well as methods of making membranes.

A combined bio-artificial liver support system, includes branch tubes that are connected in sequence: a blood input branch tube, an upstream tail end, a first plasma separation branch tube comprising at least a first plasma separator, a non-biological purification branch tube comprising at least a plasma perfusion device and a bilirubin adsorber, a biological purification branch tube comprising at least a hepatocyte culture cartridge assembly, and a plasma return branch tube, a downstream tail end of which is set as a blood output end.